Port shifts gears to ensure dredging is done on time

Stockton port officials this week approved a shift of roughly $600,000 for annual dredging around the ship docks.

Reed Fujii

Stockton port officials this week approved a shift of roughly $600,000 for annual dredging around the ship docks.

Port Director Richard Aschieris said the agency usually enlists whatever contractor is dredging the main deep water channel under contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

However, this year, that contractor is running behind schedule and may not be able to get to work around the docks before a Nov. 30 deadline.

So members of the port commission at their regular meeting Monday gave Aschieris permission to hire another contractor, Ross Island Sand and Gravel Co. of Oregon, if he deems it necessary.

Jeff Wingfield, the port's environmental director, sought a formal emergency declaration so the money could be spent without going through a formal competitive bidding and award process.

"We have a couple of docks that we need to dredge this year," he said at the commission's regular meeting. "The emergency is there is a dredging window: we have to have our dredging done by Nov. 30."

Without that approval, the port could lose shipping revenue, employment on the docks and fail to meet other obligations, Wingfield said.

The commission unanimously declared the emergency, found environmental rules had been met and gave Aschieris discretion to spend up to $598,000, plus 10 percent in contingency funds, to get the work done.